Apparatus for forming an article



Feb. 5, 1935. c. M. VILLANYI APPARATUS FOR FORMING AN ARTICLE Filed Feb. 12, 1931 IIIIIIII/IIII/IJ.

.w mwww T E NL N m m m m M 5 E L 2 MM (Y B Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES aren't crimes 7 1,989,725 APPARATUS FOR FORMING AN ARTICLE Application February 12, 1931, Serial No. 515,356

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a closure as well as a method of manufacture of such closure and the apparatus for practicing such method.

It is an object of the invention to provide a 5 closure preferably of composite type and which is capable of use in connection with receptacles to seal the same. By means of the present invention, a closure is furnished which will efficiently perform the functions for which it is intended and which closure will preferably be of the composite type so that a proper seal is furnished which.may be used normally over long periods of time without any probability of deterioration.

A further object is that of teaching a method for manufacturing a closure and which method may be practiced by relatively unskilled labor in order to commercially produce in large quantities closures of the present invention.

Still another object is that of furnishing a layout of apparatus for the practice of the present method and which layout will comprise units each individually simple and rugged in construction and operating over long periods of time with freedom from difficulties.

With these and other objects in mind, reference is had to the attached sheet of drawings illustrating diagrammatically the several steps of the method and the forming of the article thereby as well as the more important units of the 3 apparatus. In these views:

Fig. 1 is a partly sectional side view of the apparatus and showing the same in initial condition;

Figs. 2 to 5 are similar views showing various steps or cycles through which the apparatus moves, as well as the several stages of the prodnot; and Fig. 6 is a final view again showing the parts partly in section and also disclosing the closure provided according to the present invention and during the stage of ejectment of this article from the parts of the apparatus.

Although the features of the present invention may be employed in numerous different connections, it is primarily intended to form a closure or similar article from a material of the Bakelite type. Also, it is proposed to form as part of this element a sealing and/or cushioning unit to cooperate with the body of the member or receptacle to which the element is applied.

According to one preferred aspect of the invention, bakelite will be used. This substance, as is well known, includes a mixture of formaldehyde, phenol resin and wool flour or its equivalent. These products are compressed to provide a pellet usually known as a preform. Insofar as the sealing or cushioning unit is concerned, it is preferred to employ a cork disk. However, any other suitable material may be utilized in this connection.

Referring now to the figures, it will be noted that the apparatus has been illustrated diagrammatically and that with a view to avoiding unnecessary showings, the mechanism for shifting the bushing, plunger, etc. has not been illustrated. Also but a single unit has been shown. In actual use, it will be appreciated that probably several hundred units will form part of one machine, and that the shifting mechanism will probably be of the hydraulic pressure type. A consideration of these details is unnecessary to an understanding of the gist of the invention.

Thus, in these views, the numeral 10 indicates a base upon which preforms 11 are disposed by .any suitable distributing mechanism or otherwise. Cooperating with the base are units comprising plungers 12 and bushings 13, the former being movable relative to the latter, and both being shiftable as for example by mechanism of the nature aforeindicated. In the present instance, the sealing and cushioning disks 14 are associated with the plunger. To this end, it is preferred that the latter be recessed so as to accommodate one of these disks. The latter is retained in association with the plunger as for example by having a spike 15 extend within the recess and upon which the disk is impaled.

The base is heated as for example by steam, flame, or others, so that articles upon its face are subjected to an approximate heat of 250 degrees F. Thereupon, the plunger and bushing are lowered from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2. As a consequence, the bushing provides in cooperation with the base a chamber of a configuration corresponding to that of the closure which is to be formed. The latter, as will hereinafter be apparent, has a flange which is interiorly screw threaded and extends from its head, which has serrated or ribbed edge. With this in mind, the plunger 12 has the outer face of its lower end formed with a thread 16 of a configuration corresponding to that of the thread which is to be formed in the inner face of the flange. Adjacent its lower edge, the bushing 13 is formed with a serrated or ribbed surface 17 by means of which a corresponding configuration will be given to parts of the closure in contact with this surface.

Continued movement of the parts will result after the bushing is in operative contact with the base in the plunger forcing down into the body of the preform as has been shown in Fig. 3. The pressures employed in this connection should be approximately 2,000 lbs. and with these pressures in the presence of heat as aforementioned, the preform is transformed into bakelite as it is commonly known, or else into some similar molded phenol product according to the substance which is included in the preform.

Under pressures and temperatures such as aforeindicated, it is obvious that a certain amount of the bakelite will extrude between the plunger and the bushing, and this would ordinarily result in the parts becoming clogged.

With a view to avoiding any difficulties in this connection, the plunger may be tapering inwardly and the bushing may be tapered outwardly, the tapering cf the plunger might be for example eight-one thousandths to the inch, but regardless of the exact degree of tapering, a passage'will be provided for the extruded fin of bakelite. This fin will ordinarily move rearwardlyor inwardly along the plunger in the formfo f a ring and in successive operations a series of the latter will build up on the plunger from which they may be removed in any desired manner.

It is found that with the disk 14 subjected to two thousand pounds pressure, this disk will decrease for example from a thickness of threethirty-seconds of an inch to slightly less than onesixteenth of an inch. Under these circumstances, and in the presence of heat, it is found that the disk combines with the closure as an integral part thereof. According to one theory, such combining occurs incident to the molded product entering the pores of the cork or other substance of which the disk is formed. Under another theory, it would seem that'the rosinoi the phenol product and the rosin of the disk combined. In any event, a product is providedin which as aforestated the disk and closure element appear virtually as integral. If an attempt is made to remove the disk from the closure body or cap, it will be found that the disk will tear through or else that the molded body will crack instead of the disk being capable of being pulled loose.

Now with the closure element formed, the bushing and plunger move upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4 and thereafter, the plunger is withdrawn as shown in Fig. 5,leaving the formed element in association with the bushing. This may occur without damage or mutilation to the closure for the reason that immediately after the forming operation, the cap remains in somewhat pliable condition until it has aged. The latter stage of the process usually takes in the neighborhood of a minute and one-half so that if the plunger is withdrawn any time within five or six seconds after the forming operation of Fig 3, no damage will occur. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 6, the plunger moves downwardly, thereby ejecting the cap from within the bushing and the cap is received upon a plate 18 which is interposed between the forming mechanism and the base as the former moves away from the latter.

This cap, as aforebrought out, will have, according to the embodiment under consideration, a head presenting a flange 19, the outer edge of which will be formed according to the inner face of the bushing adjacent its lower edge. This cap will, moreover, include a flange 20, the inner face of which will be screw threaded as at 21 for cooperation with the corresponding threads ad jacent the pouring lip of for example a bottle,

and finally the disk 14 providing a seal and cushioning agent will be disposed within the space defined by the flange and will be retained therein without danger of accidental displacement under any conditions. In conclusion, will be appreciated that if desired, the thickness of the disk might be increased materially so that the latter would have definite height. Also, the inner face of the flange need not necessarily have screw threads and additionally an article constructed according to the pres ent invention could be utilized in numerous (iiiferent associations, without being definitely res-- stricted to employment as a closure for receptacles.

Thus, among others, the several objects of the invention as specifically aforepointed cut are achieved. As aforebrought out, numerous changes in construction, and rearrangements of the parts and variation of the steps of the method might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus of the character described including, in combination, a bushing, a plunger movable through said bushing and in slidable contact therewith throughout a predetermined zone, said bushing and plunger having article forming surfaces, and one of said elements having surfaces flared away from the other and at points immediately beyond said zone to provide a space for the escape of extrusion products- 2. An apparatus of the character described, in-

cluding a plunger, a bushing movable with respect to said plunger and encircling the latter, said plunger being formed with a recess to receive a disk, and a spike extending within said recess and upon which said disk is to be impaled.

3. An apparatus of the character described, including a plunger of fixed dimensions, a bushing movable with respect to said plunger and encircling the latter, said plunger being formed with a recess to receive a disk, said plunger being annular and formed with an uninterrupted screw thread upon its outer face. a

4. An apparatus of the character described, including a plunger of fixed dimensions, bushing movable with respect to said plunger and encircling the latter, said plunger being formed with a recess to receive a disk, and said bushing being formed with a corrugated surface adjacent its outer edge and upon its inner face.

5. An apparatus of the character described, including a plunger of fixed dimensions, a'bushing slidably encircling said plunger, the exterior face of said plunger being formed with uninterrupted screw threads, said bushing adjacent'the end of said plunger being formed with surfaces to cooperate with a moldable substance and said plunger and bushing at points substantially short of the end of the former presenting adjacent surfaces in slidable contact at a certain zone and increasingly spaced from each other at points to both sides of said zone to form a passage for extrusion products. V

6. An apparatus of the character described, includin a plunger of fixed dimensions, a bushing slidably encircling said plunger, the exterior face of said plunger being formed with uninterrupted screw threads, the outer end of said plunger being formed with a recess to receive a disk, diskretaining means associated with said recess, said bushing adjacent the end of said plunger being formed with surfaces to cooperate with a moldable substance, and said plunger and bushing at points substantially short of the end of the former presenting adjacent surfaces in slidable contact throughout a certain zone and increasingly spaced from each other at points to both sides of said zone to form a passage for extrusion products.

7. An apparatus of the character described, including a plunger, a bushing slidably encircling said plunger, said bushing and plunger being formed with cooperable surfaces for molding under pressure a substance confined within said bushing, means forming a part of said plunger to receive an article to be associated with said substance, a base cooperable with said bushing and plunger, said plunger being projectable with respect to said bushing to mold the substance confined within the latter and to associate therewith the article carried by said plunger, and said plunger and bushing, together with the composite resultant article being movable away from said base.

8. An apparatus of the character described, including a plunger, a bushing slidably encircling said plunger, said bushing and plunger being formed with cooperable surfaces for molding under pressure a substance confined within said bushing, means forming a part of said plunger to receive an article to be associated with said substance, a base cooperable with said bushing and plunger, said plunger being projectable with respect to said bushing to mold the substance confined within the latter and to associate therewith the article carried by said plunger, and said plunger and bushing, together with the composite resultant article, being movable away from said base, the molding surfaces of said plunger being of generally decreasing area towards the outer end of the same, whereby said plunger may be subsequently retracted and said molded article will be retained in association with the surfaces of said bushing.

9. An apparatus of the character described, including a plunger, a bushing slidably encircling said plunger, said bushing and plunger being formed with cooperable surfaces for molding under pressure a substance confined within said bushing, means forming a part of said plunger to receive an article to be associated with said substance, a base cooperable with said bushing and plunger, said plunger being projectable with respect to said bushing to mold the substance confined within the latter and to associate therewith the article carried by said plunger, and said plunger and bushing, together with the composite resultant article, being movable away from said base, the molding surfaces of said plunger being of generally decreasing area towards the outer end of the same, whereby said plunger may be subsequently retracted and said molded article will be retained in association with the surfaces of said bushing, the molding surfaces of said bushing being substantially flared towards its outer edge whereby upon said plunger being finally projected the molded article will be expelled from said bushing.

CHARLES M. VILLANYI. 

